Homemade Torrone Italian Nut Nougat

Homemade sweet treats are always good, especially homemade torrone! This Italian Christmas candy with roasted nuts is sweet, chewy and delicious. Italian nut nougat is also simple to prepare. Famous soft torrone comes from Alba, Siena, Cremona, and Benevento, but you can make your own white nougat which is just as tasty with almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, or pecans.

Food blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella, shares a recipe for homemade torrone which is an Italian nut nougat for Christmas.

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An Italian nougat recipe is perfect around Christmas time and other holidays. It makes one of the best gifts nobody can resist its chewy, sticky texture.

Honey and citrus are key components of Christmas-style Italian nougat candy. Nuts are widely used and you can choose from almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, or pecans. Mixed nuts would be good in torrone Italian candy too.

Food blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella, shares a recipe for homemade torrone which is an Italian nut nougat for Christmas.

Italian nut nougat can be hard or soft and medium-sweet or very sweet. You can even find chocolate covered white nougat in Italy. Store-bought or homemade torrone is typically served after lunch or dinner around Christmastime. Many Italian families serve it with mandarin oranges or with dried dates or figs. Once you know how to make torrone, you will want to make this perfect edible gift all the time.

Food blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella, shares a recipe for homemade torrone which is an Italian nut nougat for Christmas.

If there is any left over after the festivities, it can be chopped and used in cheesecake, semifreddo or sprinkled over ice cream. Chocolate torrone and homemade nougat is really versatile, another reason to make your own Italian candy!

Food blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella, shares a recipe for homemade torrone which is an Italian nut nougat for Christmas.

What is Nougat Exactly?

Nougat and torrone are different terms for the same thing. But what exactly is traditional torrone and what’s the best way to make this sweet confection?

Similar to meringue in terms of ingredients, not texture, nougat is served by itself or as part of candy bars and other desserts. It various from light and airy to chewy and stiff. It’s made with egg whites, honey (sometimes sugar instead of honey, or both) and fruit and/or nuts. Ingredients like whole almonds and edible wafer paper are often used in Christmas nougat.

Food blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella, shares a recipe for homemade torrone which is an Italian nut nougat for Christmas.

Nougat-making goes back hundreds of years in the Middle East and Europe. It might not be the easiest dessert to make but it’s not hard as long as you have the right ingredients and equipment. You will need a layer of wafer paper and a candy thermometer for the perfect torrone too. I am all the details for how to make nougat here!

Food blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella, shares a recipe for homemade torrone which is an Italian nut nougat for Christmas.

Is Torrone Nut Nougat Gluten Free?

Yes, torrone is gluten free. That is one of the great things about the simplicity of this recipe, another bonus being nougat ingredients are easy to find.

Italian Christmas Candy with Roasted Nuts Ingredients

Honey and sugar make this homemade torrone beautifully sweet, while vanilla and lemon zest add gentle flavours. In addition you need wafer paper, egg whites, and salt.

Food blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella, shares a recipe for homemade torrone which is an Italian nut nougat for Christmas.

Finally, you will need nuts, and can use whole almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, or pecans, or a combination.

What is Wafer Paper?

Also known as rice paper or nougat paper, this paper is starch-based and made with starch from rice or potatoes. A sheet of wafer paper will be stiff and slightly see-through. This edible paper is safe to eat and doesn’t have much of a flavour so you can use it in dessert recipes. It doesn’t add any scent or flavour to your confections.

Food blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella, shares a recipe for homemade torrone. You will love this Italian Christmas candy with roasted nuts.

You’ve probably had wafer paper if you’ve had traditional macaroons. It’s sometimes used to decorate fancy cakes, perhaps shaped into pretty edible petals and assembled to look like a flower, for example. You can also use it in Christmas candy recipes like this torrone recipe.

Food blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella, shares a recipe for homemade torrone. You will love this Italian Christmas candy with roasted nuts.

You can get wafer paper from baking supply stores or order it online. As well as being used to decorate macaroons and cakes, it’s good to keep moisture out of homemade torrone nougat and other candies. Use it to make wrappers for small Christmas candy recipes.

Food blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella, shares a recipe for homemade torrone. You will love this Italian Christmas candy with roasted nuts.

How to Prepare Italian Nut Nougat

The first step in making white nougat is lining a baking dish with plastic wrap and then with some wafer paper. Beat the egg whites with salt until they form soft peaks.

Food blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella, shares a recipe for homemade torrone. You will love this Italian Christmas candy with roasted nuts.

Melt the sugar and honey in a pan on the stove and then add it gradually to the egg white mixture. The longer you boil the sugar mixture the firmer your Italian nougat candy will come out.

Food blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella, shares a recipe for homemade torrone. You will love this Italian Christmas candy with roasted nuts.

Add in the vanilla and lemon zest and keep mixing until the mixture thickens up. The, add in the nuts and then pour the mixture over the wafer paper in the baking dish. Add more wafer paper on top and press it down.

Food blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella, shares a recipe for homemade torrone. You will love this Italian Christmas candy with roasted nuts.

When the soft torrone is cool you can cut it into pieces with a sharp knife, wrapping the pieces individually if you like.

Food blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella, shares a recipe for homemade torrone. You will love this Italian Christmas candy with roasted nuts.

How to Store Homemade Torrone

This Italian nougat candy keeps for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container somewhere dry and cool. Don’t refrigerate soft torrone because the moisture will make it ‘weep’ and negatively affect the flavour.

Food blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella, shares a recipe for homemade torrone. You will love this Italian nougat candy with almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, or pecans.

You can also freeze it for up to a month. Chop it up first so you only have to thaw as much as you need.

Food blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella, shares a recipe for homemade torrone. You will love this Italian nougat candy with almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, or pecans.

White Nougat Variations

Feel free to tweak the ingredients in this torrone candy with roasted nuts. You can sub orange or lime zest for the lemon zest. Also choose any kind of nuts you prefer. I find that almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, or pecans are good in Italian nougat candy.

Food blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella, shares a recipe for homemade torrone. You will love this Italian nougat candy with almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, or pecans.

Another Italian torrone variation would be swapping the vanilla extract for another flavour. Some kind of nut extract would be good and add to the nutty flavour. Or you could blend pink food colouring into half the nougat mixture or experiment with green and red food colourings for Christmas!

Food blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella, shares a recipe for homemade torrone. You will love this Italian nougat candy with almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, or pecans.

Homemade Torrone FAQs

Can you eat the paper on nougat?

Yes! It is an edible sheet of paper, known as wafer paper and you can eat it.

How do you cut soft torrone?

To cut soft torrone nougat, use a serrated edge knife to cut the nougat when cooled. Lightly oiling the knife can also help to cut it cleanly.

What is the difference between nougat and torrone?

Nougat and torrone are different terms for the same thing.

Find these cookies and others in my holiday cookie box

Homemade Torrone Italian Nut Nougat Recipe

Food blogger, Bella Bucchiotti of xoxoBella, shares a recipe for homemade torrone which is an Italian nut nougat for Christmas.

Homemade Torrone Italian Nut Nougat

5 from 84 votes
Course: Sweets
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Christmas
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cool: 3 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 415kcal
Author: Bella Bucchiotti
Homemade sweet treats are always good, especially homemade torrone! This Italian Christmas candy with roasted nuts is delicious. Italian nut nougat is also simple to prepare. You can make your own soft white nougat with almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, or pecans.
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Ingredients

  • 2 Sheets wafer paper cut to fit 8×8 pan
  • 12 Ounces honey
  • 1 2/3 Cup white sugar
  • 3 egg whites at room temperature
  • 1 Dash salt
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract clear for a whiter torrone
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
  • 3 Cups nuts roasted almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, or pecans

Instructions

  • Prepare a 9” square baking dish (or similar size) by lining it with plastic wrap, ensuring the bottom and sides are fully covered. Cut both sheets of wafer paper to fit the size of your baking dish. Place one sheet of the wafer paper into the bottom of the dish, set the other piece aside for later.
  • Take the room temperature egg whites and beat them with a dash of salt in a stand mixer until you achieve soft peaks. Keep them in the stand mixer for later.
  • Take a medium to large sized heavy-bottomed pot, and add your honey and sugar in. Stir this mixture on medium heat until it has reached 300 degrees F.
  • Once your sugar mixture has reached 300 degrees, remove from heat and immediately bring it over to the stand mixer. With the mixer on medium high stream in about 3 Tablespoons of the hot sugar mixture, let it fully combine with the egg whites and whip for a few moments before slowly streaming in the remaining sugar mixture.
  • Add in the lemon zest and vanilla extract. Pay close attention to how thick the mixture is getting as it cools, continue to whip it until the sides of the bowl are cool enough to keep your hand on it for 10 seconds, when this happens add in the nuts and give it one good mix to combine then shut it off. However, if the mixture is getting too thick before the bowl is cool enough to keep your hand on it, add the nuts in and stop mixing at any point.
  • Working quickly, pour the mixture into your prepared baking dish, on top of the wafer paper. Gently spread as evenly as possible. You can use a lightly greased spatula to spread the nougat if needed.
  • Top the nougat with the second wafer paper sheet. Gently press everything down tightly and flat, trying to get as flat and level of a top as you can – you can use the bottom of a cup or ramekin to help smooth it out if needed.
  • Let cool at room temperature.
  • When ready, carefully turn the torrone out onto a cutting board. Remove the plastic wrap and use a long serrated knife to cut the torrone into desired sizes.

Nutrition

Calories: 415kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Sodium: 22mg | Potassium: 245mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 51g | Vitamin A: 6IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg

Notes

If you want a more firm nougat, you can continue to boil the sugar mixture to 315 degrees F. I would not recommend making it any softer as it would not hold shape.
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The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.

I really love homemade Italian torrone around the festive season. Torrone nougat so good as an after-dinner treat and makes a change from cookies. Torrone candy is sure to become a holiday tradition that the whole family will love.

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Bella Bucchiotti

Bella Bucchiotti is a storyteller, food lover, dog mom and adventure seeker living on the Pacific coast. She shares her passion for food, dogs, fitness, adventures, travel and philanthropy, in hopes of encouraging followers to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places and stand for a cause. Bella lives with Type 1 Diabetes and Celiac Disease.

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Recipe Rating




  1. Kim Parry-Henderson wrote:

    5 stars
    I have always wanted to try to make nougat at home!

    Posted 10.17.21 Reply
  2. Mimi wrote:

    Girl this turned out so good! Italian approved and I love the white one

    Posted 10.19.21 Reply
  3. Heather wrote:

    My grandma used to buy this every year for the holidays. I would love to try to make some!

    Posted 10.19.21 Reply
  4. Monica Simpson wrote:

    This would be fun to make and give out as gifts.

    Posted 10.19.21 Reply
  5. Leslie wrote:

    5 stars
    I had no idea that making Nougats would be so easy! This is an excellent dessert recipe to try!

    Posted 10.20.21 Reply
  6. Tisha wrote:

    5 stars
    This looks amazing and a great holiday gift idea!

    Posted 10.20.21 Reply
  7. These are so pretty and would be a great holiday treat to give to friends and family!

    Posted 10.21.21 Reply
  8. Nancy wrote:

    What is wafer paper? Is that the same as parchment paper?

    Posted 11.28.21 Reply
    • Bella wrote:

      hi, in the blog is have the following info
      Also known as rice paper or nougat paper, this paper is starch-based and made with starch from rice or potatoes. It’s stiff and slightly see-through. This edible paper is safe to eat and doesn’t have much of a flavour so you can use it in dessert recipes. It doesn’t add any scent or flavour to your confections.

      You can get from baking stores. I got mine at Amazon

      Posted 11.28.21 Reply
  9. Debbie guarino wrote:

    Hi would you no why my nougat is to soft to even cut
    What can I do

    Posted 12.12.21 Reply
    • Bella wrote:

      Usually that means you needed to cook it longer. The longer you cook it, the harder the nougat will get

      Posted 12.12.21 Reply
  10. Tracy wrote:

    5 stars
    I make this recipe every year. Turns out amazing!

    Posted 3.8.23 Reply